Ram Upgrade

[Lexieye]

I’m in the process of upgrading my 1.2/3 Xbox with more RAM. I also have a DEAD 1.3 that I want to take the chips from and add them to the 1.2/3.

I've watched many tutorials and think the whole process isn’t that complicated.

is there anything I should know before hand before I start project?

 My 1.2/3 is TSOP’d with IND_BIO’s extended f/ partition that I use from HEXEN 2021 flashed to a 1TB hard drive.

[Donnie-Burger]

43 minutes ago, Lexieye said:

I’m in the process of upgrading my 1.2/3 Xbox with more RAM. I also have a DEAD 1.3 that I want to take the chips from and add them to the 1.2/3.

I've watched many tutorials and think the whole process isn’t that complicated.

is there anything I should know before hand before I start project?

 My 1.2/3 is TSOP’d with IND_BIO’s extended f/ partition that I use from HEXEN 2021 flashed to a 1TB hard drive.

How I do it:

Make sure to flash Xblast bios and load it up to make sure its loading (On some modchips with multiple banks xblast wont load)

 

1. Remove ram chips from dead motherboard with flux and hot air  + vacum pen (Tweezer cool too) (You don't need to ad solder to the legs 1st but you can as it makes the pull slightly easier) - Mechanic LT-201 - Cheap vacum pen - Non electrical and works really good $10

 

2. Clean new ram slot with ipa or acetone then Flux + Tin with leaded solder.  Now use de-solder braid to pick up excess solder and make the pads nice and flat/shiny. (I've tried many many de-solder braids over the years and MG Chemicals has been a Godsend - The newer style is even better).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003AGEDVI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

(I used to skip this step and slap ram chips in.  Way better results doing it the right way.  Sometimes get ram chip 1st try with no touch ups needed now).

 

3.  Align new ram chip to corners - Tak down corners while pressing firmly down on the ram chip to make it flat on the board.  When all ready and aligned you can solder each leg one at a time or use hot air to re-solder.  I use hot air now and then check each leg one at a time with tweezers.  Any legs move re-solder them/check again.

 

4. I have best results starting with underside but I don't believe it matters.  After 1 ram chip is soldered fire up xblast and do the 128mb ram test.  If all is good you should see success and 3 fails.  Repeat 1 at at time until all 4 say success.  Any frag'n in between testing is either ram chip not soldered right/leg loose/bad ram chip.

Edited June 15 by Donnie-Burger

[Donnie-Burger]

Edited June 15 by Donnie-Burger

[big F]

That's pretty much how I used to do it in the old days. just didn't have vac pens then so used a pencil with blue tac on it.

 

will be visiting this adventure again soon with the 1.6's and my un modded batch.  

 

in this day and age might as well mod them all, except the still sealed in box ones and my original unit  from Launch week. They are staying as is.